Bong Joon-ho's 'Mickey 17' trailer packs a punch at CinemaCon
Parasite director Bong Joon-ho is gearing up for his next, Mickey 17, with Robert Pattinson leading the charge. Recently, Bong premiered the trailer at the ongoing CinemaCon, teasing it as the tale of "a simple man who ultimately ends up saving the world." The grand reveal unfolded on a grand screen—a choice that delighted Bong, who said, "I'm happy we can show the trailer on a big screen—and not on mobile phones."
Why does this story matter?
Interestingly, Mickey 17 is Bong's first project since his award-winning South Korean film Parasite, which was the first non-English language film to win the Best Picture award at the Oscars and became Korea's highest-grossing film. Therefore, the excitement for Mickey 17 is palpable. Warner Bros. has announced that they will release the film in South Korea on January 28, 2025, and elsewhere on January 31.
Titular number refers to the number of times Mickey dies
In a playful twist, Bong has upped the ante by increasing the number of times the lead character dies from seven to 17. Addressing the crowd at CinemaCon, he revealed, "The number is the number of times he dies. I killed him 10 times more." Further, he said, "It's a sci-fi movie, but it's a human story." Despite the anticipation, the trailer remained exclusive to the room in Las Vegas.
Pattinson's role in 'Mickey 17' explored
In Mickey 17, Pattinson's character, Mickey Barnes, takes on the role of an "expendable," a replaceable worker tasked with colonizing an icy planet. This unique position involves dying and being recreated with most memories intact. Essentially portraying two characters—Mickey 17 and Mickey 18—Pattinson imbues each with distinct characteristics. He described Mickey 17 as a figure beaten down by life yet content to be part of a team, while 18 embodies an "evil brother" persona, characterized by being "out of control."
Unexpected twist in 'Mickey 17'
The plot takes an unexpected turn when one iteration of Mickey survives and a substitute clone arrives to replace him. This leads to conflicts between different versions of Mickey, all played by Pattinson. When asked about his choice of Pattinson for this complex role, Bong said, "He's got this crazy thing in his eyes. I felt like he could do all the different variations of Mickey in the story. He's such a creative man."
'Mickey 17' also features Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun
Meanwhile, Pattinson—a partner at Warners as the star of The Batman (2022) and its upcoming sequel—hailed Bong's script as "one of the funniest, bizarre sci-fi scripts I've ever read in my life." Pattison aside, Mickey 17 also stars Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun, Naomie Ackie, and Toni Collette. Originally slated for the March 29, 2024 release, the film faced setbacks when it was indefinitely removed from the release schedule in January. The decision came amid the 2023 Hollywood strike.